On The Unknown Podcast, Richard Luthmann and Michael Volpe debate whether that neglected corner of the ballot can become family court reform’s next battlefield.
The conversation opens with Rockett, then moves into the retention-election debate.▶00:00 Family court reform meets the ballot ▶00:59 Rockett: children in holding cells ▶05:27 The immunity debate - Which acts receive protection, and why?▶11:45 The St. Louis Zoom recording ▶15:49 Justin W. Ruth and retention ▶18:30 Can reporting move votes? ▶21:52 Chuck Panici’s political operation ▶27:03 Virginia W. Lay - Further scrutiny of Missouri’s retention ballot▶29:07 Maricopa County - Opposition campaigns and their prospects▶31:05 “Ones and funds” - Money, personal contact, and the ground game▶37:26 Beyond one election - Building an effort that lasts
Richard Luthmann's Substack:
Michael Volpe's Substack:
Volpe starts with a historical pattern: judges overwhelmingly survive retention elections, with research reporting success rates near 99% in some datasets. He sees an opening in that record. An organized opposition campaign could make an overlooked election competitive. Luthmann presses the practical question: who pays for the operation needed to reach enough voters?
Volpe’s answer begins with Chuck Panici, the longtime Chicago Heights mayor and political organizer. Panici told him about recruiting a school board write-in candidate who won approximately 75% of the vote. The lesson, as Volpe recounts it, was organization: recruit volunteers, identify supporters, maintain records, and contact voters repeatedly. Panici’s target was seven contacts per voter. Volpe argues that reformers can adapt those mechanics without waiting for a billionaire.
The discussion moves to St. Louis County, where Volpe revisits his reporting with Megan Fox on the 2021 guardian ad litem Zoom recording. He examines efforts to identify an anonymous newsletter writer and argues that the exchanges demand scrutiny of the court establishment. His criticism includes Justin W. Ruth, appointed by Governor Mike Kehoe in February 2025 and now facing retention. Volpe opposes retaining him; Missouri’s judicial performance review committee recommends retention.
In Maricopa County, Volpe describes Restore Arizona PAC’s campaign against retaining five judges. Signs and social media provide visibility, but Luthmann challenges whether they can deliver the necessary votes. The debate turns to door knocking, telephone calls, mail, fundraising, and the sustained personal contact that separates an audience from an electoral organization.
The episode also examines Rockett, the case involving two children confined in courthouse holding cells after a custody hearing. The hosts discuss the Eighth Circuit’s ruling, the limits of judicial immunity, and what accountability means when judges exercise power over children and families.
Their disagreement drives the episode: how much money does reform require, and how much can disciplined volunteers accomplish? Both confront the harder question of what changes after Election Day.
Watch the discussion, read Volpe’s accompanying article, and examine the court opinions and judicial evaluations. The ballot offers an opportunity. Turning it into accountability requires evidence, organization, and a movement prepared to keep working after one campaign ends.
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